


Nothing Ever Lasts Forever

by chade99



Category: Game Grumps, Ninja Sex Party - Fandom
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-20
Updated: 2017-11-12
Packaged: 2018-08-23 16:22:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 27
Words: 11,135
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8334280
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chade99/pseuds/chade99
Summary: Dan found an abused and unconscious girl in the streets one night and brought her home. Both Barry and Dan are worried and confused. Let's see what happens...





	1. What was I supposed to do?

“Who’s this, Dan?” The bearded man asked, seeing the other enter their home with an unconscious girl in his arms.

“I dunno, Bar. Just kind of found her lying out on the streets,” The tall one, supposedly Dan, answered, gently rolling the girl out of his arms and onto the couch. “I don’t know what exactly happened, but I’m assuming something bad,” He crouched next to the girl and brushed her brown hair out of her face.

“Really, Dan? Something bad happened to an unconscious girl? Wouldn’t have guessed,” Barry answered sarcastically. He walked over to the couch and looked at the girl. “But seriously, what the fuck, dude? You just picked a random girl off the streets?”

“She was hurt and unconscious! What the fuck do you want me to do? Anyway, what do you think we should do? Should we take her to the hospital?” Dan asked, looking up at Barry. 

“Nah...let’s wait a few hours. If she doesn’t wake up after dinner, then we’ll take her. As long as she’s not faking it and planning on robbing us.” Barry replied. Dan nodded and stood up. “Speaking of dinner,” Barry turned to look up at Dan. “What do you want?”

“Pizza?” Dan suggested, which Barry quickly agreed to. They ordered several different pies and waited to chow down on them in front of the TV. Soon after the pizza arrived, the girl stirred. Dan bent down at the couch as she sat up. “Hey, how are you feeling?” He asked her.

She just stared at Dan, glancing at Barry standing behind him with the pizza boxes. She shrugged, looking down and picking at her nails.

“Can you talk?” Dan questioned as Barry went into the kitchen to put the boxes down. The girl nodded. “Do you want to talk?” She shook her head no. “All right. Um, I’ll guess I’ll just ask yes or no questions for now, if that’s alright with you?” She nodded again. “Okay. My name is Dan, and my friend is Barry.” Dan motioned to Barry as he came back in, three plates with pizza on them in his hands. “Do you remembered what happened to you?” The girl hesitated for a while before nodding. “Do you want to go to the hospital?” No. “Do you need to go to the hospital?” Hesitation. Yes. “Okay. Do you wanna go now?” Shrug. “Then let’s go now.” She rapidly shook her head no eyes widening, but Dan wouldn’t take no for an answer.

Dan stood up and held out his hand for the girl to take. She shakily refused it and tried to stand up on her own. Her balance was just as shaky and she fell into Dan’s arms, making him back up into Barry. Which then caused Barry to drop the pizza. “Sorry about that, Barry!” Dan chuckled. Dan helped the girl back up on her feet and put his arm around her to keep her from falling. “Is this okay?” He asked her and she nodded. “Barry, will you come with us?”

Barry sighed. “Alright, I guess I will. I mean, I was hoping to eat but this is more important.” He went into the kitchen to grab his keys. The three of them went to the car, the girl leaning on Dan the whole way there. Dan sat with her in the back as Barry drove.


	2. What Happened?

Upon entering the hospital, Dan started pestering the girl with more questions. “What’s your name?” No response. “Where do you live?” Again, no response. Barry went up to the desk and was given a clipboard with a sheet they had to fill out. He went to start filling out information, but then realized he knew nothing about this girl, so handed it over to her.

They both looked over her shoulder to get more information about her. Name? Isabella Noel. DOB? October 31, 1980. Reason for coming? Isabella’s hand hesitated before writing heavy abuse. Wait, what? Abuse? Dan thought to himself. He stared at her face as she filled out the rest of the information. Once she was finished, she went to go give it to the desk, but Barry took it out of her hands and brought it up instead, giving Dan a raised eyebrow.

“Abuse?” Dan whispered to Isabella. He went to brush hair out of her face but she flinched away. He brought his hand back to his side and whispered a soft apology. “Who did…” His eyes wandered down to her long sleeves, skinny jeans, long socks, and brown hair covering her neck. Her cheeks went bright red as she stared down at her hands, picking at her nails. Dan also looked down at her hands, wanting to hold them in his own, but not wanting to freak her out.

After about a half hour, Isabella was finally called to see a doctor. Both Dan and Barry stood up to follow her. The nurse stopped them. Due to why she was here, neither of them were allowed in with her in case they were the cause.

Even to the doctor, Isabella wouldn’t speak. The doctor was able to determine that she had some sprained muscles near her ribs and in her right leg. Neither of the males that had come with her had done it. It had been going on for a while. About 5 years, in fact. A boyfriend. Nothing else. Isabella hadn’t given an address or anything, so they couldn’t send the police who arrived shortly before after the boyfriend. The doctor made sure Dan and Barry weren’t dating Isabella. Once she was sure, she subtly insisted Isabella spend the night with them.


	3. Oh no, lovely...

She was scared. She didn’t want to endure the pain any longer, but he told her he loved her. This was what people did when they were in love, right? She didn’t want to go back - she wasn’t in love with him anymore. But she knew she’d die if she left him. And she knew that the hits would be much harder when she returned to him.

Isabella was curled up on the guest bed next to Barry’s room. She had gotten used to not sleeping. He’d come home drunk, wake her up, beat her, pass out. She’d let it happen, silently cry to herself for hours. Whenever she would stop and try to get out of bed, he’d wake up and drag her back into bed. More abuse, more crying. Then the morning would come and he’d need breakfast.

It was about midnight. Isabella heard the clocks ticking in the house. She clutched at her sprains, crying again. Both Dan and Barry were worried about her, especially Dan. He was the one who found her, and he always had a soft spot for people who went through these type of things. He was sitting up in bed, thinking about her. He rubbed his eyes, hoping she would come to the office with him and Barry tomorrow, and get more information about this boyfriend from her.

Dan got up from bed to get a glass of water. He decided to get one for Isabella as well. He wandered into the guest room to find her still awake, curled under the sheets and muffled crying. As soon as the door creaked open, the sniffling stopped. “Isabella...it’s me, Dan. You don’t have to be afraid. I just brought you water.”

Isabella gently popped her head out from under the blankets, cheeks wet and soft brown eyes red from tears. Dan slowly walked towards her, water outstretched towards her. He put the glass on the end table and backed off. She sat up and grabbed the water, giving Dan a look. It was as if she was asking if he had put something in the drink or not.

“Don’t worry,” He flashed her a smile, brown eyes twinkling with worry. “I didn’t put anything in it.” She nodded and shakily took a sip from the glass. “May I sit and talk with you for a while?” She nodded. Dan sat on the edge of the bed. “So, um, I was just wondering if you’d like to come to Barry’s and mine’s office tomorrow. It’s not really like an office office. There’s a few others there, and we basically play video games and write songs for a living. You interested in coming?” Isabella shrugged, looking down at the sheets, water still in her hands. “All right. You don’t have too,” He smiled at her. “This boyfriend of yours...I know you’re scared about leaving him, but you have to. You don’t even have to say anything. Just straight cut ties with him. Move in with Barry and I, sta-” Dan noticed for the first time since he started talking that Isabella was crying again. “Oh, no. Oh, god, lovely. Don’t cry. I’m sorry…” His voice cracked. He moved closer to her to wipe away her tears but she flinched. The water spilled. He pulled back. He felt useless.


	4. Nothing I Haven't Heard Before

The next morning, Barry woke up for find Isabella and Dan at the kitchen table, sitting across from each other.. A plate of food laid in front of them both. However, Dan’s had been mostly cleaned. He was sipping a cup of coffee as he stared desperately at Isabella who wouldn’t meet his gaze. Isabella’s plate had barely been touched. “Isabella, why aren’t you eating?” Barry asked her.

“She hasn’t touched it at all in the past hour. I…” Dan’s voice faded in response to Barry. Neither of them looked up at Barry. Isabella continued to stare at her lap and Barry noticed that she was holding a cup of milk. He sat across from Isabella, next to Dan.

“Come to work with us today, Isabella,” Barry stated softly. 

Isabella finally looked up, as if to ask why. 

“Because I want to make sure you’re safe. I’m sure Dan does, too.” She looked over at Dan. He didn’t have to say anything - she could tell from his eyes that he wanted to make sure, as well. She looked down again, back at her milk and nodded. “Great. I’ll go shower. You can too, if you want, Isabella.” 

She shook her head no. Barry turned to Dan, mouth opened.

“Already took one.” He stated. Barry nodded and went up to get ready. Dan sighed and stood up. “I’m...glad that you decided to come with us today.” He grabbed the plates and his cup. He put the leftovers that Isabella hadn’t touched and the dirty stuff in the sink. Isabella took another sip from the milk and placed it on the table. “You done with that?” She nodded. Dan took it and put it in the sink. “You…” Dan took a shaky breath. “You don’t have to be scared around us.” He sat across from Isabella again. “We’re not going to hurt you, I promise.”

Like she hadn’t heard that a thousand times.


	5. Bring Your One Night Stand To Work Day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long to update! I had a wedding to go to then Thanksgiving!

“Danny, why is there a girl with you? Is it Bring-Your-One-Night-Stand-To-Work Day?” Arin immediately jabbed at Dan upon seeing Isabella. She blushed and instantly bowed her head.

“No, Arin. This is Isabella. I, um,” Dan glanced at Isabella, not wanting to tell too much to the others without her permission. She didn’t look up or respond. “I found her in an alley last night, the doctor at the hospital wants us to keep an eye on her.” He finished, not moving his eyes off of Isabella.

“Oh, fuck. Well, all right.” Arin said, getting serious. “Um, I guess we should do introductions. Hi, I’m Arin.” He held his hand out for Isabella to shake.

She looked at it, then up at Arin, smiling slightly and taking a step back. Isabella gently hid herself behind Dan a bit as more people shuffled into the room. They all stared at her curiously.

“Oh, all right.” Arin coughed awkwardly. “Hey guys, this is Isabella.” Arin introduced the light brown-haired girl to the group. “Dan found her in an alley last night, and the doctor wants us to keep an eye on her.”

A woman with dark hair and a blonde streak in it - which matched Arin’s hair - approached Isabella, a smile on her beautiful face. “Hey, I’m Suzy, Arin’s wife.” Suzy’s smile turned to a frown as Isabella showed a small smile and bowed her head again, taking another step back.

Dan coughed, getting Suzy’s attention away from Isabella. “She’s, um, a bit shy and doesn’t like physical contact. So, yeah, please give her space.” He chuckled.

Suzy nodded, apologized, and backed up. She got around to introducing Ross, Brent, Holly, Brian, Kevin, and Vernon to Isabella. They all either waved or murmured a soft ‘hello’ before getting back to work.

Isabella stared at Suzy in that awkward ‘I-want-to-talk-to-you-but-don’t-want-to-bother-you’ kind of way as she walked back to her desk. “If you feel safer hanging with a female like Holly or Suzy, feel free to. I can explain your situation to them if you need me to.” Dan whispered to Isabella, bending down to her level. “Would you like that?” Isabella looked up at him and nodded. “All right, follow me.”


	6. Who Even Are You?

Suzy and Holly were in complete understanding when they heard what little of Isabella’s situation that she had told Dan. They let her stay with them while Dan was off recording with Arin and they were editing videos or working on new ideas.

After spending the entire day switching between being with Suzy, Holly, or Dan, whoever was available, Isabella was worn out. She had met so many new people, and it was weird trying to stay with Dan as much as possible. She didn’t want to seem too clingy, but she knew him best out of all the people there. She even preferred Dan over Barry. But she was glad that she had grown closer to Suzy and Holly.

Once everyone had left and they closed the office, Dan, Barry, and Isabella were on their ride home. Isabella wasn’t up for stopping anywhere, but she had barely eaten anything that day and they needed stuff for dinner. Barry offered to stop at the supermarket so they could pick out food that Isabella would eat.

At the supermarket, both Dan and Barry practically dragged Isabella in. What if she saw her boyfriend in there? What would happen? Doubts panicked her mind.

As they entered, it seemed like Barry and Dan knew everyone in there. She had probably seen them around before, but never heard of them or met them before. As they turned a corner, Isabella closed her eyes and breathed in deeply. They shot upon when she heard a loud shout. A shout she knew all too well.

“What the fuck, bitch?! Where were you last night?! Were you with these two fuckers all night and today?!” A well-defined man approached Isabella from around the corner she just turned.

She nodded quickly, shrinking up and looking down. She wanted to shrink behind Dan. That would be no good. Nothing good would result from her hiding anymore.

“Don’t try to fucking lea-” He began shouting at her again when Dan stepped in front of her and interrupted the screaming man, who seemed to get angrier when he was interrupted.

“Who the fuck even are you?” Dan growled. “If you’re that goddamn boyfriend of hers, then you need to leave her the fuck alone! She’s done with you! Don’t try contacting her anymore, don’t try to look for her. You two are done. C’mon, Isabella, Bear, we’re going home.” He turned to grab the other two and leave without buying anything when the man threw a punch at Dan.

“Yeah I’m ‘that goddamn boyfriend of hers!’ Who the fuck are you to tell me what to do?” He threw a couple more punches at Dan, one that made contact with his eye.

Barry held Dan back before he could do anything and dragged him away from the man. He turned to grab Isabella, who was still looking at the ground and trying to pull away from the man, who was still yelling at her.

Dan looked over at her too, and walked back to them, despite Barry’s pleas. He grabbed Isabella’s hand and gently pulled her towards Barry, glaring at the man. “She’s done with you.” He repeated. “We’re grabbing her stuff in the morning, and then you’ll never see her again.” The man stared at them in shock as they walked away.


	7. Bad Vibes

Dan fumed out the front passenger’s window and barely paid attention to Barry or Isabella as they drove back to their house. Barry concentrated on driving, and Isabella was in the back by herself, silently crying. When they finally pulled up to the house, Barry sighed, getting out and leaving the keys in the ignition. “Whoever comes in last, please turn off the car. Take your time.” He said, going into the house.

“I’m sorry, Isabella.” Dan whispered once Barry was inside. “I know we haven’t known each other all that long, but I want to make sure you’re safe. I want to be sure you’re okay and happy.” He said, turning to her and seeing she was crying. “Oh, lovely. I didn’t mean to make you cry.” He unbuckled himself and leaned towards her. She shook her head and pulled back, smiling at him. “Do you want to stay with us? I mean, it’s cool if you don’t want to. I’ll help you find a new place.” He scratched the back of his head, watching her for an answer. She nodded, her smile growing slightly wider. “Really? That’s great. We’ll get your stuff in the morning, okay?”

Her smile faded a bit as she nodded. She got out of the car and headed inside, Dan following close behind her. She went up to the guest room and threw herself onto the bed. She curled up under the sheets and didn’t cry herself to sleep for once. She was finally becoming happier, but how long was this going to last?

She sighed as that thought crossed her mind. She hoped it would last forever this time. These people that she had only met the night before were starting to grow on her. She actually wanted to stay with them, she wasn’t getting any bad vibes from them. She remembered that she hadn’t gotten any bad vibes from Kevin when she met him either as she fell into sleep.


	8. Saturday

The next morning was Saturday, so there wasn’t any pressure for Dan and Barry to be in the office. Of course they weren’t. They slowly coaxed the address out of Isabella and drove her to Arin and Suzy’s house.

After dropping her off, Barry drove himself and Dan to the address Isabella gave them. Dan walked up to the front door first when they finally got there - Barry trailing slightly behind. Dan banged angrily on the door, not even wondering if this was the right house or not.

The man from yesterday at the supermarket opened the door a crack. “What the fuck do you want?” He growled when he saw who it was.

“You know what we came for. Isabella’s stuff.” The man was just about to slam the door in Dan’s face when he stopped the door and said something that made the man pause. “Let us in or we’re calling the cops, Kevin.” It was Dan’s turn to growl.

“How do you even get my address and name? Was it that bitch?” Kevin hissed, opening the door a crack wider.

Dan didn’t say a word as he pushed the door open and past Kevin. “Where’s her stuff?” Dan looked around the living room as Barry followed him in.

Kevin slammed the door shut, turning to the two strangers in his house. “I’m not going to tell you.” He said, crossing his arms and standing in front of the door.

“Fine. We’ll just find it ourselves then.” Dan started grabbing stuff that looked like it could be Isabella’s and taking it with him. Barry started to do the same, moving into different rooms and both heading upstairs. Kevin stayed where he was.


	9. I Promise

At Arin and Suzy’s, Isabella sat on the couch next to Suzy, watching the married couple play Mario Kart. Suzy was heavily beating Arin in the game, having gotten first place the last few rounds and being in first currently.

“Let me win a couple of times!” Arin whined, throwing the Wii remote on the table.

Suzy laughed as she won again. “I wouldn’t have to let you do anything if you were actually good at this.” She leaned over to give him a peck on the lips.

Isabella stared at them with a slight pain in her heart. It seemed like they were happy and actually in love. She wanted something like that so badly. She was tired of not finding the happiness she wanted. Shouldn’t she get it too?

Isabella jumped a little when Suzy placed her hand on Isabella’s thigh. “Hey, let’s go get some lunch. You and me. Arin’s being a whiny baby.” Suzy smiled at the quiet girl and laughed when Arin shouted ‘Hey!’ from the kitchen.

Isabella didn’t even realize he had gotten up, she was so distracted from worrying about Dan and Barry. She shyly smiled back at Suzy and nodded. When Suzy stood up and grabbed her keys, heading towards the door, Isabella followed suit. She climbed into the passenger’s seat of Suzy’s car and buckled herself in.

“So, where do you wanna go? Do you have anywhere special?” Suzy asked as she pulled out of the driveway. 

Isabella shook her head and stared out the window, her mind slowly wandering back to Dan and Barry. I hope they’re okay…. 

After what felt like a minute, they approached a Wendy’s. Suzy turned off her car and turned to Isabella. “I hope this is okay, Arin asked me to bring something back for him.” Isabella quickly nodded. “Good! A hamburger and medium fries good for you?” Isabella nodded again. “Great, let’s go in.”

They ordered their food and sat down at a table in the back corner, Suzy ordering for Isabella. Isabella started picking at her food when Suzy called her name. She looked up with curiosity.

“Do you mind if we talk about Dan a bit, just the two of us. Girl to girl. I promise I won’t say anything to the others.” Suzy asked, placing her burger on the table and crossing her arms next to it. Isabella shrugged, prompting Suzy to continue. “I’m glad you decided to leave that boyfriend. I know we haven’t known each other all that long, but from the way Dan and Barry described him, he seems like a real jerk. Dan and Barry... they’re good people. Especially Dan. He’s also been in tough situations, so he knows how it feels to be down. Obviously, those situations weren’t as bad as yours, but he still gets it. He’s going to take care of you, okay? If he doesn’t, just tell me and I’ll beat him up for it, okay?” Suzy smiled at that, which got a fleeting one from Isabella. “But really, I’m serious. I know you’ve known him for only a little longer than you’ve known me, but I can tell from the way Dan looks at you that he does care for you. It’s been awhile since he’s cared like this for someone other than himself. He’s going to help you get to a better place, I promise.”


	10. A Small Crocheted Fox

A few hours later, Suzy got a text from Barry saying that he and Dan had gotten Isabella’s stuff and that they were back at their own place. She drove Isabella there. Before Isabella got out, Suzy leaned over to her. “Remember what I told you today, okay? And please know that you can talk to me about anything.” Suzy smiled at the quiet girl.

Isabella smiled back and nodded, hopping out of the car and heading inside. She turned to wave to Suzy before closing the front door behind her. She went into the kitchen to find several boxes on the table and Dan icing his eye from the night before.

“Hey, Isabella! You’re back.” Dan sat up and put down the ice. “We hopefully got all if not most of your stuff. We didn’t really grab many feminine supplies, there wasn’t much. Barry went out to get food. Have at them!” Dan gestured to the boxes and leaned and crossed his arms on the table.

Isabella nodded and started going through the box closest to her. All the items in that box, and the next few, were all hers. Clothes, makeup, everything she needed. The last item she grabbed was something extremely special to her, and she teared up looking at him.

Dan pushed some of them out of the way to see what she was looking at - a small crocheted fox. Isabella hugged the fox close as Dan smiled at her. He leaned back from the table, causing Isabella to look at him. “He special to you?” She nodded. “Glad I grabbed him, then. I sensed something was special about him.” He put the ice pack back against his eye, his smile twinkling in his eyes.

Isabella’s eyes searched Dan’s, and she saw something in them she hadn’t seen in a long time. Something that wasn’t there even when she first met Kevin. Her mind wandered back to what Suzy said. Isabella sighed, looking back down at the brown fox. She gently put the fox and walked around the table to Dan, wrapping her arms around his waist and giving him a gentle squeeze before pulling away. She looked down at the floor and scratched the back of her head.

“Huh?” Dan gasped a bit when Isabella hugged him. “You’re, um, welcome.” His voice trailed off at the end, staring at her. He put the ice back down again and put both his hands on Isabella’s shoulders. She barely even flinched as she looked back up at him and smiled as he started rubbing her arms. Dan realized she was about a head shorter than him as he looked down at her. “I’m glad you feel comfortable enough to do that.” He smiled.

She smiled back as she heard Barry enter the house, calling out about what food he got. “So I got some pizza for dinner, bread, bagels, milk, eggs, and pasta.” Barry entered the kitchen just after Dan dropped his hands from Isabella’s shoulders. Barry placed the items on the counter and put it away as Isabella and Dan cleared the boxes and items from the table.

As they started to eat dinner, Dan and Barry started to relay the day’s events to Isabella, making her chuckle. Dan’s heart jumped slightly at her expressiveness, his mind wandering back to that quick hug earlier. His smiled faded for a second as he thought of how her arms felt wrapped around him and being that close to her. Dan quickly thought of more jokes to tell, which made Isabella laugh more. When she laughed, she covered her mouth and Dan so desperately wanted to lean across the table and pull her hand away. If only Barry wasn’t there...fuck…


	11. You Look Really Pretty....

Sunday morning, Dan chewed on a bagel as he scrolled through his Instagram feed. He looked up when he heard gentle footsteps approach the couch he was sitting on. He smiled as a yawning Isabella walked in, her hair all tangled and wearing pajamas several sizes too large.“Morning, sleepy head.”

Isabella smiled gently back as she curled up on the opposite end of the couch than Dan. She crossed her arms on the armrest and laid her head on them, looking at Dan, a tired smile lingering on her lips.

Dan felt his heart flutter again as she wiggled her toes at him in a ‘good morning.’ “Are you hungry?” She shook her head no, stifling a yawn. Dan chuckled. “I have to go record some songs for my band today, wanna come?” Isabella thought for a moment then nodded. Dan couldn’t help smiling. “All right! I’m, uh, leaving soon so if you wanna come I guess you should get ready and we can get going.”

Isabella sat up and stretched her arms above her head, revealing her belly before she got up. 

Dan couldn’t help but stare at her bare skin and wonder how it would feel against his. He shook the thought from his head as she walked back upstairs.. Dan couldn’t help but note how adorable she looked in those pajamas.

Dan must have zoned out because it seemed to be moments later when Isabella returned dressed and ready to go. He didn’t even notice her until she tapped him on the shoulder from behind the couch. Dan jumped and turned when she did so. He gasped lightly when he looked at her.

She was wearing denim skinny jeans with knee-length blacks boots. A long sleeved, yet loose, light green blouse covered everything else, and her hair was tied to the side in a braid. And….Dan couldn’t take his eyes off her when he realized she was wearing make up. “Wow, um…” He stuttered. “You look really pretty.”

Isabella blushed, looking down at the floor to hide her smile. That was the first genuine compliment she had gotten in awhile. She looked back up at Dan when she heard him get up off the couch and heading towards the front door. She followed soon after and smiled curtly at Dan when he held the door open for her.


	12. Under The Covers 2

At the studio, Isabella saw Brian again and met everyone else that worked there. Isabella was able to sit on the couch and watch Dan and Brian record songs for their second Under The Covers album. She felt her heart flutter when Dan sang a slow song and maintained eye contact with her through the glass.

She zoned out as Dan went to the bathroom after recording the vocals for that track. She hardly heard Brian calling her name until he snapped his fingers in her face. She flinched harshly back into the couch.

“Oh, sorry! I didn’t mean to scare you.” Brian apologized.

Isabella realized it wasn’t Kevin when she heard Brian’s voice. She smiled gently at him and looked down at the couch.

“You know….” Brian grabbed her attention again when he continued to speak. She looked back up when Brian continued again. “Dan really likes you. Like, really likes you. I can see it in the way he looks at you.” Brian continued when a flash of confusion passed over Isabella’s face. He looked at the door to the studio first to make sure Dan wasn’t coming in. “He thinks you’re cute and wants to go out with you.” Brian smirked when Isabella’s face fell. “I kind of overheard what happened between you and your ex-boyfriend from Arin and Suzy. That’s why he’s not rushing it. That, and he hasn’t been in a relationship in a while.” Brian turned back around to the soundboard to help mix the song when he finished talking to Isabella.

Isabella sank back into the couch once Brian turned around. She thought over what he told her. Dan….wants to date her. He….thought she was cute. She felt a small smile grow on her lips as she thought it over.


	13. I Don't Want To Rush Things

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ahh sorry for the late update! I've been busy these past few weeks.

Dan was about to reenter the studio when he heard Brian talk to Isabella. He only caught a few words through the door and the soft music playing inside, but enough to piece together what they were talking about. ‘Dan….really likes….thinks you’re cute….from Arin and Suzy….he hasn’t been….’

Fuck….Dan thought to himself. Was it that obvious? He felt his cheeks get red hot and couldn’t bring himself to enter. He instead leaned against the opposite wall and slid down to his knees, hiding his head into them.

A few minutes later, Brian came out to check on him. “Hey, you okay dude?” Brian asked as he gently kicked Danny’s leg.

Dan looked up at Brian, his cheeks still bright red. “Is it that obvious?” Brian looked confused, so Dan elaborated. “Is it that obvious that I like Isabella?” He asked again.

Brian sighed and crouched in front of him. “Yeah, it kinda is. Apparently to everyone but her. We’ve all been talking about you two since you introduced us to her on Friday.” He explained. “The way you look at her, the way you care for her…I mean, we know you’ve only known her for a little bit, but you’ve never acted like this for anyone else. It’s kinda obvious you at least care for her.” Brian finished.

“Yeah, well, you guys are right. I really like her.” Dan said, breaking eye contact and looking down at his knees. “I just...I don’t want to rush things. I want to make sure she’s okay and comfortable and….and ready.” Dan wanted to bury his head back into his knees and hide forever.

Brian put his hand on the other’s shoulders. “She’s going to be okay, Danny. She just needs time. Just be there for her, reassure her that everything’s going to be fine. Be there for her.” He stood up to head into the studio, holding out his hand to help Dan up. When he didn’t get up after a few seconds, Brian shrugged and re-entered the room.

Those last four words Brian said rang in Dan’s ears as he stood up and went back into the studio. He noticed Isabella sitting on the couch, curled up in a ball with her eyes closed and a slight smile on her face. All Dan wanted to do was curl up next to her and hold her so tight that all her broken pieces would be put back together.

Dan’s heart shattered when he sat down next to Brian to help finish mixing the last song of the day.


	14. I'm Sorry It Got So Late

A few hours later, Dan crouched in front of Isabella and gently called her name to wake her up. She woke up hesitantly but calmed down when she saw a giant, yet blurry, poof of brown hair in front of her face, realizing it was Dan. She looked at the time and realized it was about 10:30pm.

“I’m sorry it got so late, lovely.” Dan smiled at her. “We’re done for tonight if you’re ready to go.”

Isabella saw that her, Dan, and Brian were the only ones left in the studio. She looked at Dan and nodded, standing up and smiling at Dan when he stood up as well. As they left, Isabella turned and waved to Brian, who was locking up. He waved back.

There was silence in the car as they went home. They both knew, and they knew the other knew that they knew. There was no doubt in either of their minds anymore at this point.

Dan sighed as he pulled into the driveway. He leaned back in his seat, putting the car in park. “Listen…” He rubbed his eyes. “I don’t want things to be awkward between us. I just want to make sure you’re okay an-” He stopped short when Isabella gave him a small squeeze on his knee. He turned to see her giving him a small, reassuring smile before she got out of the car and went inside. He smiled as he also got of the car and followed her.

As Dan brushed his teeth and crawled into bed, he couldn’t shake his head clear of thoughts of Isabella. He grabbed one of his pillows and held it close to his body. Sighing, he buried his face into the pillow. Brian’s words rang through Dan’s head again. ‘Just be there for her.’ Her calm sleeping face with a small smile on her face was stuck in his head as he fell asleep.


	15. Happy Birthday, Danny!

Monday morning, and Isabella wasn’t responding. She had locked her door some time during the night and wasn’t responding to either of Dan’s or Barry’s calls. They both sat outside her room, their backs against the wall.

Silence filled the air, broken only by the ticking of clocks. “Barry, what if she did something to herself? What if she’s hurt? What if she’s…” Dan’s voice trailed off as he imagined Isabella lying on her bed, cold.

“She’s probably fine...she might just need some time to herself, to think over what Brian told her last night.” Barry choked out, looking at Dan.

Dan nodded, bringing his knees up to his face again like last night. “I’m just so worried about her. She deserves more and I don’t want her to be gone without getting it.” He mumbled through his knees.

Their heads popped up when they heard the door being unlocked and saw Isabella coming out. “Isabella!” They both sighed, relieved, upon seeing her. Dan stood up and wavered, wanting to hug her but not sure how she would react. Barry stood up as well and stood behind Dan.

Isabella smiled at them and chuckled at their reaction. She was already fully dressed for the day as she walked up to Dan and handed him a small, flat present with a card that she had had behind her back. Dan took it and looked at her confused. She blushed and looked down at her feet, taking a step back.

Barry looked over Dan’s shoulder as best he could as Dan opened the card. It was a birthday card. Dan looked up and smiled at Isabella. “How’d you know?” He chuckled. She pointed to the card and Dan opened to read it.

'Happy birthday, Danny!' It read. 'I hope you don’t mind I got you something. Suzy told me that your birthday was today, and even though you don’t really celebrate anymore, I wanted to get you this for helping me get out of a dark place.'

Dan’s smile grew wider as he read the card. “Fucking Suzy, man….” He looked back up at Isabella and handed the package back to her. “Thank you, really, but honestly I don’t mind.” Isabella shook her head and refused to take the package back, silently insisting Dan open it. “Fine,” he sighed eventually and putting the package back under his arm. “I’ll open it after breakfast.”


	16. I Didn't Mean To...

They all sat in the kitchen in silence, Barry silently eyeing the package and wondering what is was. As they all finished up, Dan stood up and grabbed the plates, trying to stall time.

“Dan, just leave the plates and open the package.” Barry chuckled. “We all know you want to see what it is.”

Dan sighed and sat back down. “You’re right.” He smiled at Isabella, who smiled back. Dan sighed and grabbed the package, slowly opening it. He slid the lone piece of paper out and had to cover his mouth. “Dude, I’d so hug you right now if you were cool with it.” He looked back up at Isabella, who was blushing at this point.

Barry leaned over the table to see what Isabella had given him. A fully shaded and colored drawing of Dan’s dog, Princess Tinkles, laid in Dan’s hands. “Wow! That’s amazing,” Barry commented. “Did you draw that yourself?” He looked at Isabella as she nodded. Looking back at Dan, he saw Dan with his head in his hand and gazing at Isabella. He coughed lightly and excused himself.

As soon as Barry left the room, silence filled the air once again. Isabella felt awkward under Dan’s stare and played with her nails. She glanced up every now and then to find him still staring at her.

“I’m sorry.” Dan chuckled, removing his hand from his cheek. “I really appreciate this. I don’t know what to say.”

Isabella stood up and walked over to Dan, his eyes curiously watching her. She reached him and draped her arms gently around him in a loose hug. Leaning into it, she rested her cheek on top of his bushy hair. 

Dan smiled and also leaned into it. As his head gently touched her breasts, Isabella flinched away sharply and let go of the hug. Dan looked up at her surprised as she backed away gently. He put his hands up. “Oh, I’m so sorry. I didn’t….mean….to….” He trailed off as Isabella hit the counter and slid to the ground, covering her head with her hands and putting them in between her legs. Dan slid off his chair and onto the ground across from her, sitting criss-crossed. “Lovely….I’m sorry….I didn’t mean to frighten you or anything….are you all right?” He asked.

Isabella shook her head no as sobs began to rack her body.

Dan tried to scoot closer to her, but she shrunk into her body.


	17. How Are You Feeling?

Dan held her hand as she cried and let herself loosen up. He rubbed his thumb in circles on the back of her hand, humming lightly. As Isabella let out a couple more sniffles and finally looked up, her eyes bloodshot and cheeks wet, Dan smiled gently at her. “How are you feeling, lovely? I’m really sorry again….” He whispered, his voice cracking slightly.

Isabella shrugged and wiped some snot from her nose. She gently smiled at Dan as he reached up on the table and grabbed her a napkin. Dan’s eyes were filled with worry as she made no other move after wiping her nose and her smile fell.

Her head fell back down as Barry came back down from his shower and saw the two of them sitting on the ground. “Hey, is everything alright?” Barry asked. Dan croaked out a small ‘yeah’. “Okay, well I’m going to head off to work.” Barry replied, twirling his car keys in his hand.

“We’ll catch up with you. Tell the others we’ll be a bit late.” Dan didn’t take his eyes off Isabella, thumb still tracing circles on her hand.

Barry nodded and left.

As soon as Barry’s engine faded into the distance, Isabella back up at Dan and a small smile spread on her lips. She took Dan’s hand in both of her own and squeezed in reassurance and thanks. She scooted closer so their knees were touching and she let their hands fall into his lap.

Dan smiled back at her and cupped her cheek with his other hand. Isabella’s smile grew larger as she leaned into it. “Oh, lovely….” He sighed, rubbing her cheek with his thumb now. He didn’t even realize he was leaning in closer to her until she leaned in and snuggled her head on his shoulder. He could feel her soft breath on his cheek as he took his hand from her cheek and wrapped it loosely around her shoulders.

After a few minutes of sitting there in silence, Dan sighed, causing Isabella to remove her head from his shoulder. His heart sank when he no longer felt her warmth on his shoulder. “I guess I should get ready for work.” He said. “And your mascara is a bit….” He chuckled as she wiped a bit of makeup from her cheek. She smiled sheepishly at Dan as he got up and held his hand out for her.

She took it and stood up, heading back to her room to fix up her makeup as Dan went into the shower.


	18. Laughing

Dan put his hair up in a ponytail as he walked back downstairs to find Isabella curled up on the couch. He sat down next to her as she looked up at him, her makeup fixed and her hair brushed out. Dan stretched his arms out on the back of the couch and Isabella leaned into the one closest to her. “You ready to go?” He asked, sighing and smiling at her.

Isabella nodded and stood up, smiling back at him.

As Isabella stood in front of him, Dan couldn’t help but feel his heart beat faster. He blushed and stood up, scratching the back of his head. He headed towards the door but stopped right before he opened it. “Oh!” He turned back to Isabella. “Do you mind if I bring that picture you gave me with us? I think the others would really like it as well!” 

Isabella smiled, her heart swelling with pride. She shook her head to indicate she wouldn’t mind.

Dan smiled. “Cool!” He lightly jogged back to the kitchen to grab it - and his keys. He headed out to his car to find Isabella already by it, waiting for him to open it. He handed the picture to her. “Mind holding it for now?” He asked her.

She shook her head again and took it, getting into the passenger’s side when Dan unlocked the car. When Dan got into the car and leaned over to put his phone in the open glove compartment, Isabella gently brushed a couple of strands of hair out of Dan’s face and behind his ear.

Dan blushed and looked at her. “Oh, um thank you.” He smiled at her, starting the ignition and starting to drive.

Isabella chuckled at Dan’s blushing and how cute he looked when he blushed.

“Are you laughing at me?” Dan asked in a slightly insulted way, putting his hand over his chest. He glanced over to Isabella as she nodded and covered her mouth when she giggled. His heart sank slightly when she did that. “You don’t have to cover your mouth when you laugh, ya know.” He said, looking back to the road again. “You have a beautiful smile and a great laugh.” He told her.

Isabella blushed at this comment and looked at her feet in the car. She never looked at it that way, and Kevin hated her laugh and smile. She had just gotten so used to hiding them that even the thought of someone even slightly liking them seemed like a joke to her.

It was weird for Isabella when she realized how much more she had been laughing these past few days than she had these past few years.


	19. Don't Be Rude About It...

It had been about a year and a half since Isabella moved in with Dan and Barry. Isabella still wasn’t talking to everyone, but she was extremely affectionate and talkative towards Dan. Almost every day, they walked into the office holding hands or something of that sort, and Dan gave Isabella small pecks on the cheek anytime he thought no one else was looking. 

Dan had helped her with so much this past year it was only natural that they grew so close. Isabella finally felt safe in someone’s arms again, and she knew that everything between her and Dan was genuine and right. She knew Dan was taking care of her right and treating her right, and she wasn’t about to lose this any time soon.

She was genuinely happy for once.

Barry stared across the room at them several times during the day, becoming ever so slightly more jealous of Dan with each day. He couldn’t help but fall in love with Isabella himself. He mentally punched himself every day for not being there for Isabella more than he was. 

Barry watched from his computer desk as Dan and Arin came out of the recording room, laughing and continuing their conversation. His eyes flickered over to Isabella, who was curled up on a bean bag in Dan’s leather jacket. She moved slightly over to make room for Dan as he plopped down next to her, wrapping his arm around her. Barry felt his heart sink again as Isabella snuggled up under his arm and smiled happily.

“Hey, Barry?”

He heard someone call his name. He turned to see Suzy roll over to him in her chair. “What’s up?”

“Are you okay?” She asked. “You’ve been glaring at Dan and Isabella constantly for the past week or so.”

Fuck, he didn’t think anyone noticed. “I, um...yeah. I’m fine.” He replied, turning back to his computer and continuing to edit the video he was working on. His eyes pricked as he tried to hold back tears. His hand twitched and he looked back up at Suzy when she placed her hand on his.

“Barry...I know something’s wrong. What is it?” She asked again, a bit more soft-spoken but still prodding.

“I-it’s nothing, really.” Barry echoed. “I don’t really want to talk about it.” He glanced back over to where Dan and Isabella were, laughing on the couch about something and couldn’t help but let a single tear out at the sight of them sitting so close.

Suzy looked over as well, seeing Barry’s eyes fall back down to his lap and the tear when Isabella kissed Dan on the cheek. “Wait a second, Barry. Are you jealous of Dan?” Suzy asked him, almost whispering and chuckling lightly.

“Yeah, and? I am, so what?” Barry snapped back, grabbing the attention of everyone else in the office.

“Dang, Barry. I’m sorry for asking. If you wanna talk, I’m here. Just don’t be rude about it.” Suzy got defensive as soon as Barry lashed out and rolled back to her own desk to work on her own stuff.

Barry shook his head and went back to work as well. After about 30 seconds of silence, everyone else went back to their own conversations as well.


	20. Trust Me...

Dan looked over at Barry when he snapped at Suzy. He noticed every time Barry looked over at him and Isabella, and he wanted to approach him about. He felt the jealousy and hate radiating off of him. He felt bad for asking Suzy to do it, but Dan felt like Barry would be more inclined to talk to Suzy about it than Dan. Dan sighed and his smile fell as Barry more or less pushed Suzy away.

Isabella snuggled up closer to him, laying her chin on his shoulder, grabbing Dan’s attention. “Are you okay?” She whispered in his ear. This was the only way she’d talk to Dan, and he clung onto every word she’d whisper as she’d never speak much around others.

“Yeah, it’s just that Barry’s been acting strange lately. I’m just worried about him.” Dan replied softly, laying his head on Isabella’s.

“Strange….how?” She whispered.

Dan softly stroked Isabella’s soft brown hair. “I don’t know how to explain it. But he just seems, ya know, angry for, like, no reason.”

“Oh...well, he’ll get over it. I’m sure he will.” She replied, moving to lay down on the bean bag. She wrapped Dan’s jacket tighter around her as Dan laid down, sighing.

“I hope so. I just want to know why he’s so upset and angry.” He sighed, closing his eyes for a bit.

“He’ll tell somebody soon enough. Trust me.”

“Mmm..okay.” Dan knew when to trust Isabella on these things.


	21. Carnival

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! If you have any feedback or suggestions, comments are greatly appreciated!

“You’ve never been to a carnival?!” Arin cried out at Isabella. Dan and Isabella had entered the office with Dan explaining to Isabella what a carnival was.

She shook her head, slightly wide eyed with Dan rubbing her shoulders.

“Please don’t be so loud.” Dan quietly reminded Arin for the millionth time. “You know it freaks her out.”

Arin sighed and apologized. “I just can’t believe you’ve never been to a carnival. Not even as a kid?”

She shook her head again and whispered something to Dan.

 

“Her family never had the time or money to go.” Dan replied to Arin for Isabella.

“Oh my god.” Arin put his hands on his head, trying to wrap his mind around this new information. “Y’know, there’s one opening next week in LA that Mark is planning on going to with his friends. Why don’t we join them?” He suggested. 

A look of confusion passed on Isabella’s face and she asked Dan who Mark is.

“You know...Markiplier. He’s another really popular let’s-player.” Dan explained. Seeing she was confused, Dan promised to show her Mark later.

“She doesn’t even know Mark! Do you at least know PewDiePie?” Arin cried out at Isabella again.

She flinched slightly into Dan and he yelled at Arin. Isabella shook her head.

“Oh my god. Well, let’s start with Mark and we can move on from there. Everyone good on the carnival plan next week?” Arin asked the whole office.

Everyone agreed on this plan and Arin texted Mark to make sure it was cool that they joined them.


	22. Large Crowd

The next week, everyone all headed down to LA in their own cars. Isabella was excited, but nervous at the same time. Seeing as Dan said that carnivals could get pretty loud and she didn’t like loud voices, it was understandable that she was nervous.

Once they arrived at the carnival, Isabella tried to swallow her nerves. There was a whole lot more people there than she expected. As Dan approached her side, she clung onto his arm like she’d lose him. Dan rubbed his thumb across the back of her hand to help try and calm her. 

Arin texted Mark to see where him and his friends were. As it were, they had already arrived and were waiting for them by the ferris wheel. They headed towards the ride, with Isabella taking deep breaths while Dan spoke to her in a soft, calming tone.

As they approached a large crowd standing in front of the ferris wheel, Isabella shrunk even farther into Dan. “Hey, um. We’re going to stay back here while you go get them, okay?” Dan told Arin and the others as they pushed their way through the crowd.

“Okay, dude!” Arin called back right before disappearing into the crowd.

“Hey, hey. Isabella.” Dan gripped both her shoulders to grab her attention. “Issy, look at me. It’s going to be okay. Take some deep breaths. Look at me. It’s going to be okay.” He whispered.

Isabella looked at Dan with tears in her eyes. She took some shaky breaths and wiped away her tears. “Promise you won’t leave me alone while we’re here?” She whispered back.

“I promise.” He replied, a soft smile on his lips. “Hug?”

She nodded and leaned in, standing on her tiptoes to properly hug him. “Promise?” She asked again.

“I promise.” He squeezed her tightly, almost as if he were trying to fix all her broken pieces. He let go and gently squeezed her arms as everyone else returned - with new people Isabella didn’t recognize.

Isabella shrunk into Dan a little more as she saw a group of three men and two girls join their group.

“So, Isabella.” Suzy approached her and put a hand on her shoulder. “This is Mark,” she gestured to the Asian man as he waved. Isabella recognized him from some of the videos Dan showed her the night before. “Ethan,” the blue-haired and acne covered….boy?....waved. “Tyler,” the brown-haired one wearing a red beanie waved. “Amy, Mark’s girlfriend,” the blonde holding Mark’s hand waved. “And Kathryn!” The other brown haired girl waved as Suzy finished the introductions.

Isabella nodded at each of them, letting her gaze drop down to her feet.

“Oh, wow, she really is quiet.” Ethan commented, making her blush a deep red in embarrassment.

“Ethan!” Mark hissed, jabbing him in the stomach. “Don’t say things like that!”

Isabella looked up and smiled slightly at them, whispering something in Dan’s ear.

“She says it’s okay.” Dan chuckled, repeating what Isabella had said.

“Well, now that that’s out of the way, who’s ready to go on some rides?!” Arin high-fived Ross as he shouted this and the two of them ran off.

Holly and Suzy sighed, giving each other ‘these are the men we married, but we love them’ looks before walking after them with everyone following.


	23. Ali Baba

As they stood in line for the Ali Baba, Dan held Isabella extremely close to him. “It’s going to be okay, lovely.” He chuckled lightly. “It’s honestly not all that bad.”

“But what if I fall off?!” She whispered urgently back at him, eyes wide with fear.

“You won’t, okay? They put a seatbelt on you. We can sit in the back if you want, and you can sit in between me and someone, okay?” He whispered back, brushing her hair off her shoulder. “We’ll make sure you won’t fall off.”

Isabella nodded gently as the line moved up.

It was their group’s turn to get on next, and Isabella chose to sit next to Dan and Suzy. In front of them sat Mark, Ethan, and Amy, talking to fans. All day, multiple people had been coming up to them, asking to take pictures. Some with Arin and Dan, some with Ethan, but mostly with Mark. It made Isabella nervous as she wasn’t used to so many people around her. It especially got to her when the fans asked if her and Dan were dating. She wasn’t quite ready for another relationship yet.

As they put on their seatbelts and the straps came down, Isabella felt her nerves come back. She grabbed Dan’s hand and squeezed.

Dan squeezed back and whispered as the ride started. “It’s going to be okay.”

She smiled nervously at him as the ride brought them up. She breathed in harshly as the ride dropped pretty quickly, excitement and nerves mixing into one indistinguishable emotion.


	24. Instagram

Dan rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb as the ride came to an end. “So, was it that bad?” He asked Isabella teasingly as they got off.

She replied with a jab to his stomach. “Don’t think I’d like to go on again.” She replied, having to speak a little louder than usual.

Dan laughed. “Wait till you try one of the roller coasters.” He looped his arm through hers and dragged her behind him to catch up with the others.

Isabella was not willing to go on all the rides, but she was willing to try the ferris wheel. Dan, her, Arin, and Suzy were all in one compartment as they all boarded the ride.

Dan wrapped his arm around Isabella’s shoulders and she laid her head on his shoulder, looking out at the carnival. “Amazing, isn’t it?” He whispered to her.

She nodded gently, not paying attention to him or anything else. As they reached the top of the ride and stopped, Isabella shrunk into Dan and grabbed his arm tightly.

“Hey, it’s okay, we’re going to start moving in a couple of seconds again.” Dan whispered to her, rubbing her back.

Isabella nodded and sat up a bit straighter, looking out over the carnival again.

As the ride started to move again, they heard a small click of a camera. Isabella and Dan looked over at Suzy, who had her phone camera up and a guilty smile on her face. Isabella blushed a deep red, slight worry in her eyes.

“Suuuzzzzyy, what did you do?” Dan asked suspiciously as Isabella squeezed his hand.

“I just took a picture.” Suzy replied innocently. “You guys just look too cute!” She smiled, shrugging.

“May we see?” Dan held out his free hand.

Suzy nodded and handed him her phone.

Dan and Isabella looked at the picture of them; Isabella with her head on Dan’s shoulder and looking out at the carnival with wonder, and Dan with his arm around her, gazing at Isabella with such gooey love that it made both of them blush.

Dan handed Suzy her phone back. “Uh, nice, um, picture.” He stuttered, scratching the back of his neck. 

“Glad you like it.” Suzy giggled. “Do you mind if I post it on Instagram?” She asked, looking at the two of them.

Dan shrugged, looking at Isabella. “Fine with me if it’s fine with Isabella.” Isabella whispered something in his ear. “She says it’s okay, so go ahead.” He chuckled.

“Sweet, thank you!” Suzy said, typing ‘at the carnival!’ as the caption. As soon as she posted it, both her’s and Dan’s Instagram blew up with people asking who Isabella was and if her and Dan were dating.


	25. Giant Teddy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for such a long wait guys! I was busy over the summer!

Isabella held the giant stuffed teddy Dan won her close to her chest as she slept in the car on the way home.

Dan glanced at her every once in awhile, a small smile resting on his lips. As they finally arrived home, Dan opened the passenger side door and gently shook Isabella awake.

Isabella blinked awake and smiled at Dan as he stepped out of the way. She grabbed his hand and gently leaned up against him as they walked inside. When they entered and reached the top of the stairs, Isabella tugged lightly on Dan’s sleeve and stood on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek. “Thank you, Danny. I had a lot of fun tonight.” She whispered in his ear, hugging the bear loosely in her arms.

Dan smiled back down at her. “I’m glad you did. I did, too.” He gently brushed a couple strands of hair behind her ear. “Go get some sleep, tired angel. I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?” She nodded at him and they went to their own rooms.

Isabella curled up in her bed, hugging the bear closely to her. She smiled slightly and nestled her face in the bear’s face. It still smelled slightly like Dan’s car, and she breathed in his scent until she fell asleep.

Dan flopped down on his bed with his smile still on his face. He couldn’t stop thinking of how adorable Isabella looked while she slept in the car, or how she clinged onto him during the Ali Baba, or how her eyes shined with wonder on the ferris wheel. Nor could he stop thinking of how excited she was when he handed her the bear, or how she finally joined the group in an eating contest. He’d always remember her holding his hand during the fireworks, the other one holding the bear, leaning her head on his shoulder and looking up at the fireworks with such contentful happiness that he couldn’t help but fall deeper in love with her. He had already set the picture that Suzy took as his phone lock screen. As he curled up on his bed, his arms reached for a pillow, imagining it was Isabella curled up against him.

Barry sat quietly in his room, also thinking about the night. Hating how much Dan was with Isabella, how much he had done for her. Barry was happy that Isabella was happy, but….he wanted her to be happy with him, not with Dan. Barry hated how she kissed Dan’s cheek and only whispered to him. How Dan was the only one who could touch her, the only one who could comfort her. How everything she did was with Dan.


	26. I Love You

The next day, Dan found himself searching outside for Isabella. He ended up finding her underneath the big oak tree in their backyard with a small picnic and a book.

She looked up from the book when she heard Dan approaching. Moving over, she smiled up at him and patted the space next to her.

He sat down and reached for some food, yawning.

“Good morning, sleepyhead.” Isabella whispered as Dan yawned and brushed his hair out of his face.

He leaned back on his hands and checked the time. “Damn, it’s noon already…” He commented, falling back to lean on both of his elbows, hair falling back into his eyes.

Isabella put her book down and turned so that she was facing him. “Already? What do you mean already, you just woke up.” She chuckled. 

“I know, I know,” he chuckled. He looked up at Isabella and smiled. “It just means that I get to spend less time with you.”

“Then don’t spend so much time sleeping,” she replied, laying down on top of him, putting her arms through his to lean up, and brushing his hair out of his eyes. “You need a hair tie, mister.”

“Mmm I don’t think so,” Dan replied, laying down and bringing Isabella down with him, closing his eyes. Her head laid just above his heart. “Sleep is just too fantastic, and hair ties just get stuck in my hair.” He gently rubbed her back.

Isabella willingly curled up against Dan and sighed. Intertwining her legs with his, she wrapped her hands in his hair. “Like this?” She whispered, pulling his cheek close to her lips. Her breath tickled the hairs on his cheek.

“Mhm.” Dan let out a sharp exhale of breath and turned to his lips were lightly pressed against Isabella’s. He moved one hand up to her cheek and gently brushed it with his fingers.

She moved slightly to press her lips more firmly against his, closing her eyes. Pulling away, she gently placed her forehead against his. “I love you, Danny.”

Dan’s eyes fluttered opened at these words. “What did you say?” He whispered, not sure he heard her right.

Isabella chuckled, slowly opening her eyes. “I said, I love you.” She repeated, and gently kissed his nose.

“That’s what I thought. I love you too.” Dan chuckled in response, gently pulling as close as possible and closing his eyes.

Isabella snuggled her head into Dan’s chest and closed her own eyes, the two of them falling into a light sleep with smiles on their lips.


	27. Guess It's Pasta Again

Barry stared out the kitchen window and felt his heart sink. Sipping his coffee, he turned away and headed up to his room. He grabbed his phone off of his charger dock and checked Instagram.

Barry scrolled through Dan’s profile to find the picture of Dan and Isabella at the carnival. Barry hissed slightly while scrolling through the comments on the picture.

_“Awh you two are adorable!!”_

_“Who’s this???”_

_“Are you two dating???”_

_“WTF!!!_ "

A bunch of the comments were the same, but they all hit him the same. He wiped away a couple of tears and shut off his phone, gently throwing it across the bed and laying down. He let his emotions take over and felt his body rack with sobs as he stuffed his face into the pillow.

It was another couple of hours, but Barry shook himself awake from a nap when he heard his name being called.

“Barry? You awake?” It was Dan.

Barry decided to ignore him and just pretend he was asleep if he came up.

“Guess he’s asleep. I’ll just leave him a note, and then we can go, okay?” He heard Dan say.

A few minutes later, and he heard the front door close and lock. Barry headed downstairs to where Dan left a note on the counter for him. He sniffled as he read it.

_“Hey B-dog!_

_Isabella and I went out for dinner. See ya later!_

_-D”_

Barry sighed as he put it down, heading over to the cabinet to grab some spaghetti. _Guess it’s pasta for me again…_ He thought to himself.


End file.
